Korean barbeque restaurants have had a presence in the CBD for years. But if you’ve eaten sweet, spicy, deep-fried haloumi at Doju or makgeolli (rice wine) bread at Ondo recently, you know a new breed of Korean restaurants is making waves in Melbourne.
Chef Doowon Lee is riding the crest with the opening of Sot, his chic new 80-seat spot on Bourke Street. Picture crisp white walls, blond timber furniture and a soothing minimalist soundtrack. Lee describes the vibe as capturing the “soulful warmth of a Korean home in Melbourne” – a vision brought to life by the Korean Australian hospitality company TCNC.
The chef’s culinary adventure began in Seoul, where after culinary school he staged (interned) at the Shilla Hotel’s Michelin-starred La Yeon. In 2013 he moved to Melbourne and dived into a four-year stint at Southbank’s Nobu before spending two years at the Vietnamese fusion hotspot Firebird in Prahran.
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SIGN UPHis initial menu offers inventive spins on Korean classics, including Korean-style beef tartare (yukhoe), spicy ceviche in chilled gochujang broth (mule) and panna cotta sweetened with sujeonggwa (cinnamon punch).
But the real show-stopper is sot bab, which Lee calls “a culinary ritual and tradition passed down through generations in Korea”. The dish is served in a steel pot filled with butter rice and topped with the likes of market fish, grilled galbi (ribs) or chicken and sauteed wild mushrooms – ingredients Lee personally selects from Springvale and Preston markets each day. Go the bansang (meal set) option to add soft-boiled marinated eggs, house-made kimchi, soup of the day and other sides.
The globe-spanning wine list features burgundy blanc de blancs, Marlborough pinot gris and Marche lacrima. And of course there are Korean beers including Cass or Terra, plus a selection of soju and makgeolli if you want to drink like Koreans do.
Chef Lee’s goal is to share his culture through cooking. As he puts it, “Melbourne’s international reputation as a food destination means that trends here often influence the rest of the world. In Korea, bap is more than just rice – it represents a moment of nourishment and connection. Asking ‘Did you eat rice?’ is our way of checking in with one another. I want to continue spreading this mission here.”
Sot Dining
98 Bourke Street
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